Kings Dynamic Duo
The Sacramento Kings’ dynamic duo of De’Aaron Foz and Domantas Sabonis dominated in a 129-120 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, stretching the Kings’ winning streak to five games. Meanwhile, the Spurs have dropped seven in a row, the longest active losing streak in the Western Conference.
Fox scored a game-high 43 points, adding eight rebounds and seven assists. Fox shot 14-24 from the field — including 5-11 from 3-point range — and made 10 of his 13 free throws.
Sabonis scored 27 points, shooting 9-13 from the floor and 7-8 from the free throw line. He also snagged a game-high 14 rebounds and dished out seven assists. Sabonis is averaging 24.6 PPG, 12.6 RPG, and 9.2 APG with a field goal percentage of 67.6% during the five-game winning streak.
Malik Monk came off the bench to score 20 points in 26 minutes for the Kings, making six of his nine 3-pointers. Monk also distributed a game-high eight assists, matching the second-highest single-game total of his career.
Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama produced 27 points and nine rebounds, while frontcourt mate Zach Collins scored a team-high 28 points with eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
The Spurs have allowed at least 114 points in each of their 12 games this season. The only other teams in NBA history to open a season with at least 12 such games in a row are the 1962-63 Detroit Pistons and 1983-84 Denver Nuggets.
Jokic Dominant, But Pels Win
Nikola Jokic compiled game highs of 26 points (tied), 16 rebounds, and 18 assists (matching his career high), but it wasn’t enough as the Denver Nuggets fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 115-110. The Pelicans and Nuggets are tied atop the West Group B In-Season Tournament standings at 2-1, but the Pelicans now hold the tiebreaker.
It’s the fourth time Jokic has recorded at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in a game, tying Wilt Chamberlain for the second-most such games in NBA history. Oscar Robertson is the all-time leader with 14 such games.
Jokic now has 110 career triple-doubles, fourth on the NBA’s all-time list. He leads the NBA with five triple-doubles this season. Jokic has recorded at least five triple-doubles in each of his last eight seasons, tying Russell Westbrook for the second-longest such streak in NBA history (Robertson, 10).
Jokic has season totals of 356 points, 169 rebounds, and 110 assists. He’s the first player in NBA history to record at least 300 points, 150 rebounds, and 100 assists through his first 12 games of a season.
The Nuggets’ Christian Braun Braun came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points. Braun made 11 of his 19 shots from the floor, snagged nine rebounds, and did not commit a turnover.
The Pelicans’ Zion Williamson scored a team-high 26 points and handed out six assists. Williamson shot 10-17 from the field, but made just five of his 11 free throws. Williamson has struggled from the charity stripe this season, shooting just 57.3% on 75 attempts.
Jonas Valanciunas (22 points) and Brandon Ingram (21) also had 20-point outings for New Orleans. Valanciunas tied for team rebounding honors with eight, while Ingram led the Pelicans with eight assists.
Sixers Return to Winning Ways
The Philadelphia 76ers returned to their winning ways after consecutive losses, topping the Atlanta Hawks 126-116. The Sixers are tied for the second-best record in the NBA at 9-3, one game behind the Boston Celtics.
Sixers center Joel Embiid scored a game-high 32 points, shooting 10-19 on field goals and hitting all 11 of his free throws. Embiid also contributed eight assists, seven rebounds, and two steals.
Over his last three games, Embiid has made 32 free throws without a miss. The only center in NBA history to make more free throws without a miss over a three-game span is Moses Malone with 41 (Jan. 10-14, 1987).
Embiid is averaging 31.9 PPG, 11.1 RPG, and 6.0 APG this season. The only other player since the ABA-NBA merger to average at least 30 PPG, 10 RPG, and 5 APG through his first 12 games of a season is Giannis Antetokounmp in 2019-20.
Teammate Tobias Harris scored 29 points and hauled in 10 rebounds, making 12 of his 20 attempts from the floor. Harris has scored at least 15 points in each of his 12 games this season, shooting 50% or better from the field in 10 of them. He’s averaging 20.3 PPG on 57/39/89 shooting splits for the season.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 22 points and 13 assists. Young made all 10 of his free throws, but connected on just five of his 14 field goal attempts. Young has scored at least 15 points in each of his 11 games this season, but has yet to shoot 50% or better from the field. The only other player over the last 60 seasons to start a season with at least 11 such games in a row is Allen Iverson in 2001-02 and 2002-03.
Quick Hitters
Additional notes on the fourth night of In-Season Tournament action:
Kevin Durant produced 38 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists as the Phoenix Suns outscored the Utah Jazz 131-128. Durant — who hit 15 of his 22 tries from the floor — has scored at least 25 points in each of his last 11 games, tying Amar’e Stoudemire and Devin Booker for the longest such streak in franchise history. Teammate Booker scored 24 points and distributed a career-high 15 assists, committing just one turnover. Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 37 points, shooting 14-26 from the field (5-10 on 3-pointers). Clarkson has recorded four straight 25-point games, the longest such streak of his career.
The LA Clippers snapped a six-game losing skid by beating the Houston Rockets 106-100, halting the Rockets’ six-game winning streak. The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 26 points with eight rebounds and five steals. Leonard is the first Clipper to record at least five steals in back-to-back games since Chris Paul on Nov. 14 & 16, 2016. Teammate James Harden scored 24 points, grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, and dished out a team-high seven assists.
Damian Lillard tallied 27 points, five rebounds, and five assists as the Milwaukee Bucks rolled over the Charlotte Hornets 130-99. Teammate Malik Beasley scored 20 points, hitting six of his 10 3-point attempts. Beasley tied the franchise record for most 3-pointers made over a two-game span with 14. LaMelo Ball scored a game-high 37 points to lead the Hornets, but shot just 12-28 from the field (2-9 on 3-pointers).
The Orlando Magic held off the Chicago Bulls 103-97. The Magic’s Jonathan Issac scored 18 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in just 20 minutes of action, his highest-scoring game since Dec. 28, 2019. Zach LaVine scored a game-high 34 points for the Bulls, shooting 12-20 from the field and 6-7 from the free throw line.
Jalen Brunson had 32 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists to lead the New York Knicks in a 120-99 rout of the Washington Wizards. The Wizards have lost five straight games overall and dropped to 0-3 in group play, eliminating them from the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.
The Boston Celtics blew a 16-point halftime lead before edging the Toronto Raptors 108-105. The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown tied for game-high scoring honors with 23 points on 9-14 shooting from the floor. Pascal Siakam and Dennis Schroder also scored 23 points apiece for the Raptors.
The stumbling Detroit Pistons lost their 10th consecutive game, this one a 108-100 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers were led by Darius Garland, who scored a season-high 28 points on 10-19 shooting from the field. Cade Cunningham scored a team-high 20 points for the Pistons, adding a game-high eight assists and five rebounds.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James had 35 points, nine assists, and five rebounds in a 107-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. It’s the 236th time James has scored at least 35 points in a game, tying Kobe Bryant for the third-most such games in NBA history. Teammate Anthony Davis chipped in with 16 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks, and three steals. Davis now has 50 career games in which he’s recorded at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks, 30 more such games than any other active player (Rudy Gobert, 20).